The Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC) is a longstanding scientific meeting that brings together established and junior investigators from the Midwest to present and discuss research in microbial pathogenesis. The first MMPC convened in 1994 at the University of Iowa and the meeting has subsequently been held every year since in alternating venues at academic institutions in the Midwest. Between 250-350 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty participate in this meeting annually, most of who are from Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. The 22nd annual MMPC is being held in Indianapolis, IN from August 38-30, 2015, and will be organized by the Indiana University School of Medicine. This conference is a major scientific venue that supports the development of the next generation of research scientists with special emphasis upon inclusion of researchers from underrepresented minority (URM) populations. Apart from providing an interactive and engaging scientific forum for investigators to present their work and establish collaborations, the MMPC fosters networking between investigators and institutions in the Midwest. Regional accessibility, low cost, and travel/registration support provided for select attendees allows this meeting to attract a diverse group of participants. Approximately 60% of speakers invited to give oral presentations at the 2015 meeting will be junior faculty (Assistant Professors) who are often presenting their first formal seminar since establishing their own laboratories. Talks from a smaller number of more established investigators who recently moved their laboratories to the Midwest are also planned to encourage networking. Five graduate student or postdoctoral fellows chosen based upon merit of their submitted abstracts will also be invited to present their research orally, providing an invaluable opportunity to showcase their research in a collegial and interactive environment. We propose to select from abstract submissions 20 additional trainees for registration waivers, focusing again on merit and URM status. We will also off 10 registration waivers to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Universities in Indianapolis that enroll high proportions of URM to increase meeting diversity. This year's MMPC will also include an interactive lunch forum focused on career development, which will be headed by panel of prominent female scientists from academia, industry and government. Thus, the MMPC will be supporting a variety of activities that are directly relevant to the scientific missions of the National Institutes of Health and public health.